Different drive concepts and a plurality of individual configuration possibilities for motor vehicles require the installation of vehicle components which are adapted to the respective configuration and the respective drive concept. Accordingly, corresponding batteries and tanks have to be installed for example for hybrid vehicles or for gas-operated vehicles. Preferred locations of installation for batteries are typically in the floor region, for example in the rear floor region of the motor vehicle body.
Motor vehicles with alternative and in part different drive concepts possibly have to be produced in only a comparatively low production quantity. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to use one and the same unchanged support structure for the different drive concepts and equally also for different motor vehicle configurations. Providing different body support structures, for example for drive concepts based on the one hand for internal combustion engines and on the other hand hybrid drives is comparatively expensive and involved not only in the development but also under assembly and production-related aspects.
DE 10 2005 017 249 A1 discloses a body section, including a rear floor with substantially rectangular form, which has to be arranged in the region of the rear fenders between two rear side members and a rear axle cross member running transversely to the side members. The rear floor in this case is supported as an integrated rear structure module by the two side members and the rear axle cross member. Here, the front region of the rear floor firms a part of the rear axle cross member. The part of the rear axle cross member belonging to the body in white can in this case constitute a shell that is open towards the top, which is complemented by the front part of the rear floor plate into a hollow profile, when the rear floor plate is installed in the body.